How To Plant Roses

A How To Planting Guide For Roses

Great tips on how to plant roses, planting steps for roses in your garden, that's the topic of this page.

Pre-planting rose care is very important, especially if you are planning to plant bare root roses.

Give potted container roses a good drink of water until water runs out of the drainage holes.

To make digging the hole easier, give the area a couple of good soakings in advance ( a day before) to soften the soil.

Use a digging fork to loosen the soil and mix in the soil amendments, such as compost, bone meal, and blood meal.

The goal is to have good loose soil to about 1 foot deep, and 2 feet wide, so the rose feeder roots can grow quickly.

Rose Planting Drawing Courtesy Of Sunset Magazine

Make sure you have good drainage. If not, create a raised bed a foot off the ground.

That's one my favorite tips for how to plant roses in areas that don't drain well.

Roses don't like soggy soil. It will kill them, because wet soil deprives their roots of oxygen. They won't grow in soggy soil.

Step By Step How To Plant

Planting can be stressful for roses, so plan to plant them on a cool day, even a drizzly day.

Or plant in the morning, or evening. Have an umbrella handy to shade the rose and the digging hole, if the sun breaks out.

STEP 1: PREPARE THE PLANTING HOLE

The planting hole should be 1 foot deep and 2 feet wide, so it acommodates the roots without cramping, pushing or bending the roots.

Loosen the soil further, using a digging fork, around the 2 foot wide hole, to make it even better for the incoming root system.

Also rough up the bottom and sides of the hole so it won't become a "bucket" that can hold water ( bad drainage).

STEP 2: PLACE THE ROSE IN THE HOLE

Position the rose in the center of the hole.

Hold on to the rose with one hand, and use the other to scoop soil back in and around it.

Tamp the soil loosely to get rid of air pockets, but treat the roots gently.

Use a waterhose and water slowly to eliminate all air pockets.

STEP 3: MAKE A BASIN AROUND THE ROSE

Once the soil has been filled in and the rose is planted in an upright position, begin to water.

But first build a moat, a holding basin, around the rose plant.

Just make a low mound circle around the rose's outer diameter.

Make it about 4-6 inches high and 18 inches across.

STEP 4: WATER THE ROSE WELL

Use a hose or a watering can to deliver a good slow soaking to your newly planted rose bush.

Watering roses deeply is very important, so they develop deep,drought resistant root systems.

Planting Climbing Roses

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